EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine stories you need to know before your morning coffee.

1. #EXPENSES: The 60 members of the Seanad – constituted as a ‘part-time’ chamber – received €1.3 million in expenses last year. The top claimant took over €32,000 to cover travel and office expenses, while one member managed to make do with €3,000. Our full guide will tell you who claimed what.

2. #SYRIA: Over 200 people – and possibly as many as 350 – have been killed after sustained shelling in the Syrian city of Homs, local activists claim. State media carries denials from the government, who deny responsibilty. The shelling comes as the UN continues deliberating on a condemnation of Bashar Assad’s regime.

3. #TRAINS: The majority of Iarnród Éireann’s InterCity ticket prices will rise today, following the approval of the transport watchdog to raise fares last month. The new fares regime will also see some prices fall, as journeys will now be priced based on the speed of the train and the distance of the journey.

4. #SOLICITORS: Justice minister Alan Shatter has responded to criticism of his proposals to overhaul legal regulation – insisting objections to his Legal Services Regulation Bill are “more theoretical than real”. Writing for TheJournal.ie, Shatter says his legislation will guarantee the independence of the legal profession for the first time in the history of the State,

5. #ARREARS: An independent Bill which would have allowed judges to refuse applications for homes to be repossessed has been withdrawn from the Dáil. Stephen Donnelly’s Bill was discussed yesterday but has been withdrawn after ministers said its points could be incorporated into the new insolvency legislation.

6. #FRANCE: Aviation workers in France have voted to go on strike for four days, starting on Monday, in protest at a new law which would… require them to give two days’ notice of industrial action. The shutdown may cause travel difficulties for travellers across Europe.

7. #BROADBAND: UPC has agreed to withdraw its ads claiming to offer the ‘fastest broadband in Ireland’ after the advertising standards watchdog upheld a complaint against them from Magnet. Magnet said its services, with a same advertised speed, were less ‘contended’ – meaning fewer people would have to share each connection, guaranteeing a faster connection.

8. #DISCHARGED: One of Dublin’s best-loved children’s institutions, the Doll Hospital and Teddy Bears’ Clinic on Georges Street, closes its doors for good today. The shop’s owners say that while business has been good, the accumulation of rates and rent mean the business can’t continue – though it will continue to trade online.

9. #GENIUS: We’re not ones to be self-indulgent but we did think this was worth sharing with you: someone (we don’t know who) has started a Tumblr showing… well, pictures of dogs, speaking words posted by you, our users, in the comments field. It’s curiously amazing. Kudos to you, whoever you are.